Slack-adjuster.



No. 850,202. 7 1 PATENTED APB.16,1907.

'0. 0. ANDERSON.

SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION IILEDJUNE'I, 1906. 1

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Witnesses% y, 1 Jig PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

C. 0. ANDERSON. SLACK ADJUSTER.

AY'PLIOATION FILED JUNE 7, 1906.

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Witnesses r'" No. 850,202. 1 PATENTED'APR. 1'6, 190?.

c. o. ANDERSON.

SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLIQLTION FILED JUNE 7, 1906.

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IUNITED -sTAgns PATENT FFIOE.

CHARLES O. ANDERSON, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO A. T.AUSTIN, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

SLACK-ADJUSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed June 7.1906. Serial No. 320.520.

To all 10/1/0711, it natty concern-.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. ANDER- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Omaha, county of Douglas, and State of Nebraska,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Slack-Adjusters,of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to means for auto-- matically adjusting the membersor taking up the slack in brake-rigging, and may be advantageouslyemployed upon any of the usual kinds of hand or power operated brakes.

The object 'of my invention is to provide a simple, accurate, anddurable. device of the kind described and one requiring practically noattention, except when it is necessary to renew the brake-shoes.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction,arrangement, and com.- bination of parts, herein shown andde scribed,and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar referencecharacters indicate like or corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a plan viewof the mechanism, showing it in operative relation to one form ofbrake-beams. Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is an elevation taken fromthe opposite end. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a slightlymodified form of mydevice. Fig. 6 is a plan view ofa modified form of my device, showingthe same applied to connect the brakelevers of a railway-car. Fig. 7 isa section taken substantially on line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectiontaken substantially on line 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is an end elevation ofthe form shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is another slightly-modified form ofmy device.

While my improvement may be adapted to substantially any kind ofbrake-rigging upon any style of vehicle, I have shown in the drawings,Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, a form particularly applicable to a well-knownform of street-car brake-rigging and in the remaining figures a formwhich may be conveniently employed upon the ordinary brake mechanismused upon steam-railways and the heavier class of electric railways.

In the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, 1 and 2 aretransversely-extended beams of the brake-rigging, 1 being the beam. to

which the brake-shoes are attached at one end of the car or truck, and 2being a beam which is connected by means of side rods or equivalentmeans with a beam at the opposite end of the car or truck similar to andcarrying the brake-shoes, the same as the beam 1. In operation the beams1 and 2 move toward each other as the brakes are applied and separate ormove away from each other when the brakes are released, the lattermovement being in some cases assisted by the use of the well-knownrelease-springs. (Not shown.) Obviously, as the brake shoes and otherparts become worn in service unless the parts are almost constantlyadjusted a greater movement of the beams 1 and 2 is required to applythe brakes, and my device is provided to make such adjustment to theparts before the change in movement of the beams becomes noticeable. Thebeam 1 is connected to the operating mechanism by which the brakes areapplied by a lever 3, pivotally attached to the beam l by means of apart 4 and to the operating mech anism by a rod 5 or other suitableconnection. The lever 3 is also connected to the beam 2 by means of apin 6 and clevis 7, which embraces both the beams, as shown. Anysuitable means may be employed to adjust the operative length of theclevis 7. As shown, a screw Sis provided at the closed end of the clevisextending longitudinally thereof, with one end in position to engage thebeam 2, and thus control the distance between the beam 2 and the pin 6.The position of the screw 8 may be automatically adjusted in anysuitable manner to control the relative position of the bars 1 and 2. Inthe form shown a shaft or rod 9 is slidably mounted in suitable bearings10 and 11 upon the clevis 7, and a bracket 12, having a part 14positioned in the path of the lever 3, is rigidly attached to the shaft9. A collar 15 is mounted near the 0pposite end of the shaft 9 to limitthe movement or the shaft toward the bearing 11, and

a spring 16 or equivalent means is provided, tending normally tomaintain the shaft and associate part at the limit of their movementtoward the bearing 11. A transverse slot 17 is provided near the end ofthe clevis 7, and a ratchet-wheel 18 is mounted within the slot 17 uponthe screw 8, suitable means being provided to provent rotation betweenthe screw and the ratchet-wheel. A bell-crank 19 20 is pivotally mountedupon the clevis 7 at 2 1, with its arm 19 attached to apart 22 upon thecollar and with a hook-shaped dog 23, provided near the free end of thearm 20, arranged to engage the teeth upon the ratchet-wheel when thebell-crank 19 is oscillated and rotate the ratchet-wheel 18 and screw 8,a fixed pawl 24 being also provided to prevent any backward movement ofthe ratchetwheel.

Under normal conditionthat is, with the brake-rigging properly adjustedthe movements of the lever 3 to set or release the brakes will notdisturb the bracket 12 or other associated parts of my device. When,however, through wear or other cause the movements of the beams 1 and 2become excessive, the increased movement of the lever 13 to setthebrakes will cause the lever to engage the part 14 of the bracket 12,which is preferably provided with an adj Listing-screw 25, therebymoving the shaft 9 in the direction of the bearing 10 against thetension of the spring 16 until the dog 23 has passed one or more teethupon the ratchet-wheel and setting the mechanism in position to operateto take up slack as soon as the brakes are re leased, thus permittingthe spring to move the parts back to their normal position, ro-

tating the screw to bring the beams 1. and 2 toward each other.

In the form shown in Fig. 5 the spring 16 is omitted, and a shoulder 26is provided upon the bracket 12 in position to be engaged by the lever 3when the same is in release position to hold the parts of my device inproper normal position. When so constructed, the device is set byexcessive movement of the lever 3 to set the brakes and operated to takeup the slack by the lever 8 when moving to release the brakes engagingthe. shoulder 26 and forcing theparts into their normal position asbefore.

In Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 my device is shown attached to and forming apart of the bot tom rod in a common form of brake-rigging employed uponsteam-roads and the like. In this form the clevis 7, which may beconsiderably shortened, as shown, is preferably attached directly to thelive lever 27, and the screw 8 is formed upon the end of the bottom rod28, the opposite end of which may be attached to the dead lever 29 inthe usual or any desired manner. In this form in place of rotating thescrew by the movements of the ratchet-Wheel 18 the center of the wheelis suitably threaded and turnsupon the screw, the opening in the clevis7 being smooth and of suitable size to permit free longitudinal movementbetween the screw and clevis. The form of bracket 12 and position of thescrew 25 is also altered to suit the changed conditions, and the dog 23and pawl 24. are formed to rotate the ratchet- Wheel 18 in the oppositedirection, the remaining portions of the device remaining substantiallythe same as heretofore de scribed, except that it is arranged to operateupon the opposite movement of the parts.

The form shown in Fig. 10 operates substantially the same as the formjust described, but is somewhat simplified in that the bearings 10 and11, shaft 9, and collar 15 are entirely dispensed with and the bracket12 is attached directly to or formed integral with the arm 19 of thebell-crank 19 20, the operation being the same as heretofore described.

My device, as heretofore explained, maybe employed with any form ofbrakerigging; but in order to secure the best results in each particularform slight modifications in the construction and arrangement of theparts may often be desirable, and it is obvious that various slight orimmaterial modifications may be made in my device without departing fromthe spirit of my invention. Hence I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the exact form and construction shown.

Having thus described the preferred form of my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a slack-adjuster for brake-rigging, an adjustable clevis adaptedto connect a pivoted lever of the brake-rigging to other parts of saidrigging, means for controlling the operative length of said clevis, andmeans positioned in the path of said pivoted lever for controlling theoperation of said adjusting means.

2. In a slack-adjuster for brake-rigging, an adjustable clevis adaptedto connect a pivoted lever of the brake-rigging to other parts of saidrigging, means for controlling the operative length of said clevis andmeans mounted upon said clevis with a part positioned in the path ofsaid lever for control ling the operation of said adjusting means.

3. In a slack-adjuster for brake-rigging, an adjustable clevis adaptedto connect a pivoted lever of the brake-rigging to other portions oftherigging, com rising a member provided with a longitudina o ening, ascrew fitted to said opening, and y its position controlling theoperative length of the clevis, a ratchet mounted upon said screw andadapted to operate the same and means positioned in the path of saidlever for o erating said ratchet when the movement 0 said lever exceedsa certain limit.

4. In a'slack-adjuster for brake-rigging, an adjustable clevis adaptedto connect a pivoted lever of the brake-rigging to other parts of therigging, comprising a member provided with a longitudinal opening, ascrew fitted to said opening and by its osition controlling theoperative length 0 said clevis, and means positioned in the path of saidlever for changing the position of said screw when the movement of saidlever exceeds a certain limit.

In a slack-adjuster for brake-rigging, an adjustable clevis adapted toconnect a pivoted lever of the brake-rigging to other portions of saidrigging, comprising a member provided with a longitudinal opening, ascrew fitted to said opening and by its position controlling theoperative length of said clevis, a screw-threaded ratchet mounted uponsaid screw and engaged by said member, whereby the longitudinal positionof said screw in said opening is controlled by said ratchet, and meanspositioned in the path of said lever for rotating said ratchet.

6. In a slack-adjuster for brake-rigging, the combination with two beamsand an operating-arm pivoted on one of the same, of a connecting memberpivoted to said arm, a screw operating in the connecting member andengaged with the second beam, a ratchet adapted to operate the screw, apawl coacting with the ratchet, an elbow-lever pivoted to the ratchet, asliding member having connection with theelbow-lever, a bracket attached to said sliding member and adapted to be engaged by saidoperating-arm upon excessive movement of the same, and means adapted tooperate said pawl.

7. In a slack-adjuster for brake-rigging, the combination with twobrake-beams and an operating-arm pivoted to one, of a clevis pivoted tothe operating-arm connected to the second beam, a screw operating. inthe clevis, and means for automatically operating the screw to take upthe slack in the brake-rigging.

S. In a slack-adjuster for brake-rigging, the combination with twobrake-beams and an operating-armpivoted to one, of a clevis pivoted tothe arm and connected to the second beam, a screw operating in theclevis, a

ratchet mounted upon the screw to operate the same, and means operatedby the excess ive movement of said arm for turning the ratchet.

9. In a slack-adjuster for brake-rigging,

the combination with two brake-beams and an arm pivoted to one, of aclevis pivoted to the arm and connected to the second beam, a screwoperating in the yoke, a ratchet mounted on the screw, a pawl coactingwith the ratchet, a lever carrying the pawl to operate the same, anddevices in connection with the lever for operating .it upon excessivemovement of said arm of the brake-rigging. 10. In a slack-adjuster forbrake-rigging, the combination with two brake-beams and an arm pivotedto one, of a clevis pivoted to the arm and connected to the second beam,a screw operating in the clevis, a ratchet mounted on the screw, a pawlcoacting with the ratchet, a levercarrying the pawl to operate the same,and devices in connection with the lever for operating it upon excessivemovement of said arm of the brake-rigging, said devices comprising asliding member having connection with the elbow-lever, a bracketattached to said sliding member and having shoulders lying at oppositesides of the arm, whereby to move the sliding member upon excessivemovement of the arm, and means For returning said sliding member to itsnormal position upon releasing the brake.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES O. ANDERSON.

/Vitnesses:

A. A. MGCLURE, M, ENGLER.

